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East Ridge wrestling: Lyden survives first day at state

East Ridge's Reid Lyden, ranked No. 4 at 120 pounds, faced Prior Lake's second-ranked Tanner Johnshoy in the first round Friday at the Xcel Energy Center and fell 6-4. Johnshoy advanced to the semifinals with an 8-4 victory over Rochester Mayo's Miles Patton to give Lyden another shot in wrestlebacks.

It probably wasn't the draw East Ridge's Reid Lyden had wanted for his second trip to the Class 3A state tournament, but Lyden found a way to survive the first day.

Johnshoy advanced to the semifinals with an 8-4 victory over Rochester Mayo's Miles Patton to give Lyden another shot in wrestlebacks.

Lyden, who placed sixth last season, didn't waste the opportunity and came up with a 10-6 victory over Patton to stay alive in the tournament and have a possible rematch with Johnshoy in the third-place match Saturday. Lyden will have to get past Maple Grove's Logan Dick first and another match for that to happen while Johnshoy will have to lose his semifinal match against St. Michael-Albertville's Tommy Thorn, the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 120 pounds and two-time defending state champion.

"I really wanted to place," Lyden said of his wrestleback match. "I did everything I could just to place."

Lyden will get that opportunity Saturday when the tournament resumes at 11 a.m.